Wire-wiping apparatus.



J. H. REEOE.

WIRE WIPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1911.

'1, 1 17,603. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEET "SHEET 1.

YHE NORRIS PETERS Cl? PHDTO-LIYHO WJSHINGTON. D. c.

J. H REEOE. WIRE WIPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1911

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS SHBET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOVLITHO wAsIHrmmN. n c

sion in order to permit t ITED s'rarits Parana onion.

JUAN H. BEECE, 0F JULIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGIL OR TO HUIWIIPHRFIY &.S01 TS, OF Zl'OIiIET,

ILLINOIS, A COPARTNEHSHIP.

WIRE-WII ING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUAN H. Rnnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at J oliet, in the county of WVill and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-VViping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wiping apparatus of the character employed in connection with a spelter bath for wiping off the surplus spelter after the wire has been passed through the spelter bath in the galvanizing process. i

In apparatus of this general character, it

is customary to pass the wire between compressed pads of asbestos which rub off the surplus spelter from the wire. In the use of an apparatus of this kind, it is frequently necessary to release the ads from compresiie passage of a knot in the wire, which is formed where one section of wire is attached onto another. In adjusting the wiping pads it has sometimes been customary to employ a lever for raising and lowering the movable pad, and in other cases it has been customary operation by means of a screw. Where a lever is used, the adjusting operation can be quickly performed, but it is diilicult to se cure a fine degree of adjustment with the consequent variation in pressure; and where a screw is employed it is difficult or impossible to quickly perform the operation, so that both of these methods are objectionable, for the reasons stated.

The object of the present invention is to construct an apparatus which combines a lever with a screw in such manner that a perfect adjustment can be obtained, combined with quickness of compression and re-.

lease, thereby enabling the apparatus to be more satisfactorily operated than is the general practice.

Further objects will appear from a cletailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the device in compressing position; Fig. 2 a front elevation of one end of the same; Fig. 3 a sectional elevation of the device in released position; Fig. 4: a cross sectional elevation of a portion of the device,

to perform this Patented Nov. 1'7, 1914. 4

taken on line a d of Fig.3; Fig. a similar view, taken on line 55 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 a sectional elevation of the removable lever handle.

The machine as a whole is supported upon a base plate 7, near each end of which is an upright 8, which uprights support a bridge plate 9, which is secured to the uprights, at either end, by means of bolts 10, and connected with the base plate by means of a plu'ality of pairs of vertical tie rods 11, which are spaced at regular intervals, as shown in Fig. 2. This arrangement forms a substantially rectangular frame, which is divided into stalls orsections by means of a plurality of partition plates 1 2, the upper ends of which are socketed within slots 13 in the lower face of the bridge plate, and the lower ends of which are socketed within slots 14 formed in a flange 15 near the forward edge of the base plate. Each of the partition plates, about onc-third of the distance from the base plate. is transversely thickened, at its forward edge, by the provision of lugs 16, which narrow the spaces between the partition plates at this point.

Each of the stalls or sections furnishes a passageway for a strand of wire which passes over the flange 15, which flange furnishes a stop or abutment for holding in pos tion a lower asbestos wiping pad 17, which cooperates with an upper asbestos wiping pad 18 which is carried by a plunger block 19, the lower end of which will be embedded in the upper pad with the initial depression of the plunger block. Each of the plung'ger blocks is of substantially rectangular shape and practically fills the space between the partitions of the stall or section within which it is located; and each of said blocks, in its upper face, is provided with a smooth socket hole 20, which receives the head 21 of an adjusting screw 22. The head 21 is separated from the stem of the screw by a circumferential channel 23, which channel receives the arms 2% of a bifurcated an gle plate 25, the lower end of which is entered into an offset recess 26 in the rear face of the plunger block, being held in place by means of a bolt 27. The bifurcated forward end of the angle plate is entered into a recess 28 formed in a lug. 29, which upwardly extends from the plunger block at the forward edge thereof. The arrangement. is one which permits the head of the screw to turn freely within its socket, thereby permitting the plunger block to be raised and lowered.

The screw is threaded through a sleeve and terminates, at its upper end, in a stem 81, which passes through the bridge plate and is squared at its extremity 32 to receive a wrench, key, or similar adjusting instru ment. The sleeve 30 is provided, on its forward side, with an ear 33, to which is pivoted the lower end of a link 34, the upper end of which is pivoted to the elbow of an L-lever 35, the. short arm of which lever terminates in a head 36 provided with an elongated slot 87, through which is entered a transversely extending pivot rod 38, which serves as a hanger for all of the levers of the machine. The link is pivoted to the elbow of the lever at a point such that, when the lever is thrown into horizontal position, as shownin Fig. 1, the upper end of the link will be thrown past a dead center, so that a toggle lock will be afforded, preventing accidental release when the plunger block is put under compression. The lever is provided, on its upper side, with a hooked finger 89, which, when the lever is thrown to vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, is adapted to hook into a transversely extending groove or channel 40 in the top face of the bridge plate, which locks the lever in raised positlon.

The provision of the elongated slot 37 affords sufiicient play or movement to the lever to permit it to be raised on its pivotal mounting, to the extent necessary to allow the hooked finger to clear the edge of the bridge plate and drop down into the groove 40 when the lever is, thrown to its extreme upward position. The lever,'at its outer end, is slightly tapered to receive a lever handle 41, provided with a socket head 42 which receives the end of the lever, and the handle is further provided with a latch lever 43 having, at its inner end, a bent finger 4a which is adapted to engage with a notch 45 in the upper side of the lever, within which notch the finger will be held by the action of a spring 16 which engages with a de pending finger 47 on the lever, as shown in Fig. 6. The lever is formed to afiord a finger piece 48, at its rear end, which normally projects above the level of the handle l-l, so that the operator can easily release the handle from the lever, when it is desired to do so. But at the same time the lever will be held against accidental displacement through the medium of i the spring &6, acting to hold the finger 44 in engaging position therewith.

In use, the. stalls or partitions will each have entered thereinto a lower pad of asbestos or similar material, which will lie be tween the partition walls and abut against the flange 15, so that it will not be turned out or drawn forward by the advancing strand of wire. Each of the plunger blocks is then sunk into and embedded in an upper pad, and the wire is entered between the pads. The pads can be compressed together by lowering the lever to the position shown in Fig. l, in which position it will be locked by the toggle action of the link. The position of the plunger block, with respect to the lever, can be adjusted by means of the screw, so that the desired degree of compression can be obtained without difliculty. When the parts are thus adjusted, the plunger block can be raised and lowered entirely by means of the lever, and this will bethe ordinary method of adjusting the plunger block during the compression of wiping the wire.

Itwill be seen from the foregoing description that the device is one which affords ease and facility of operation, and at the same time permits the compression to be regulated to any desired degree. Furthermore, the machine as a whole is eX- tremely compact and afi'ords provision for the simultaneous wiping of a large number of strands of wire.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the sleeves 30 are each provided with a projection 30 of a size to enter into slots 30 in the plates 12. This furnishes a guiding means for the movable portion of the device. I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the

moved toward and from said base member, a single piece ad usting screw rotatably socketed in the plunger block, and extending through and beyond the upper face of the cap piece, a sleeve provided with an inner thread with which the thread of the adjusting screw meshes, said sleeve serving as a bearing to permit said stem to be raised and lowered longitudinally by a direct rotative movement imparted to the stem, said threads acting as a key to hold the sleeve and adjusting screw together and prevent longitudinal movement therebetween by other than a rotative action of the screw, a link connected at one end to the sleeve and a pivoted L-lever to the elbow of which the other end of the link is pivoted, said link and lever lying entirely and at all times to one side of the screw said lever whenthrown moving said link and raising and lowering said sleeve and stem longitudinally and in unison with a non-rotative movement, substantially as described. 7

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame including a base member and a top member, a plunger block adapted to be moved toward and from said base member, an adjusting screw rotatably socketed in the plunger block, a sleeve through which the adjusting screw is threaded, a link connected at one end to the sleeve, a pivoted L lever to the elbow of which the other end of the link is pivoted, said lever being provided with a hooked finger on its upper side and the top member being provided with a groove or recess into which the hooked finger is adapted to engage when the lever is raised, said lever being loosely pivoted to afford the necessary freedom of movement to accommodate such locking action, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame including a base member and a top member, a plunger block adapted to be moved toward and from said base member, an adjusting screw rotatably socketed in the plunger block, said screw extending through and beyond the cap piece a sleeve through which the adjusting screw is threaded, a link connected at one end to the sleeve, a pivoted L lever to the elbow of which the other end of the link is pivoted, said link and lever lying entirely and at all times to one side of the screw the pivotal points for the lever and the link bein so located as to throw the link past its dead center position when the lever is lowered, said lever being provided with a hooked fin ger on its upper side and the top member being provided with a groove or recess into which the hooked finger is adapted to engage when the lever is raised, said lever being loosely pivoted to afford the necessary freedom of movement to accommodate such locking action, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base plate, a bridge plate and connections therebetween, a wiping surface secured to the base plate, a block, a wiping surface secured to the lower face of the block, said surfaces being in alinement with one another, a threaded stem swivelly mounted in said block, and extending beyond said bridge plate a sleeve having an interior thread meshing with the thread of said stem, said sleeve serving as a bearing to permit said stem to be raised and lowered with a rotative movement to adjust the distance between the wiping surfaces, said threads acting as a key to permit rotative longitudinal movement between the stem and sleeve by other than a rotative movement, a toggle lever mechanism operatively connected to said sleeve, and lying entirely and at all times to one side of the screw, said lever mechanism acting as a support therefor and as a means for quickly raising and lowering said sleeve with a non-rotative movement carrying said stem and block a sufficient distance to permit the passage of wire between said wiping surfaces, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base plate provided at its ends with uprights, a bridge plate resting upon and connected with the uprights, vertical partition plates dividing the structure into a series of stalls or com artments, a plunger block located in each of the stalls or compartments, a screw for adjusting each of the plunger blocks, a lever, a sleeve through which the screw passes having an interior thread meshing with the thread of said screw, outwardly projecting lugs on said sleeves, connections betweenieach lever and sleeve for raising and lowering the screw with a non-rotative action by a movement of the lever and said partition plates being slotted to receive said lugs, said slots and lugs serving as a guiding means for said sleeve and as a means for preventing rotative movement of the sleeve, substantially as described.

JUAN H. REEOE.

'Witnesses:

LEWIS W. CONNELL, GEoRon M. RoBsoN, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

